Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Freddy Goes to Florida
Altogether, Walter R. Brooks published 26 Freddy the Pig books. I'd never read this one before I picked it up on a momentary whim while waiting for my kids in the children's section at our public library last week.
Recently I had re-read Freddy the Detective, and while it was at least interesting, and amusing in spots, it didn't rekindle any warm childhood memories or feel particularly fulfilling. Not a disappointment, exactly, but not what I had hoped for.
Freddy Goes to Florida, on the other hand, felt more like the genuine article. The first in the entire Freddy series, it was originally published in 1927 under what must be a contender for Worst Title of All Time ("To and Away"). In it, Freddy is only a bit player among the many animals involved; in fact, here his name has a comma. (Having to remind the reader about which animal is which, they keep referring to him as "Freddy, the pig.") On the whole, this book was a satisfying read. Lots of adventures--crocodiles, bad guys, buried treasure--kind of like a road trip movie, only with richly-drawn humanized animal characters.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
This book provides an interesting introduction to filmmaker Georges Melies. Though young Hugo is the main character, you can't help but learn a lot about Melies and his movies, especially Le Voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon).
The book itself is an interesting mix of novel & graphic novel as parts of the story are told only in pictures. The reading audience is listed as 9 - 12 year olds but that is very limiting and I see no reason why many adults won't also enjoy it.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
21
So okay, I understand that movies have to use a certain narrative shorthand to get the story across, but the filmmaker's first duty is also to suspend the viewer's disbelief. So: If these MIT kids are so smart, how come they keep going to Las Vegas one weekend after another, and even to the same casinos? Why couldn't they have gone to Reno or Atlantic City once in awhile to avoid drawing attention to themselves? And if this kid is so smart, how come it never occurs to him to stash his six-figure winnings in a safe deposit box instead of hiding them above his dorm room ceiling tile? And why is Kevin Spacey's mastermind character so intent on going back again and again, rather than just making a bundle and walking away?
Grade: D.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
The Space Between Us
Monday, June 15, 2009
88 Minutes
It didn't win either, and sometimes the Razzies are way wrong, but this time I'm with them on the Worst Picture part. Hard to believe that a psychological thriller with Al Pacino in it could be so utterly uninteresting, but it was. Not only is it impossible to care about any of the characters in this show, but--well, the basic premise is that Pacino's character gets a phone call from an old enemy and is told that he has 88 minutes to live--and before the movie is half over, you find yourself wishing they would speed up time and make good on their threat, just to get it over with.
Neither of us were able to sit through the whole thing. Don't know whodunit, and don't care.
All About Eve
I have a great deal of respect for Bette Davis, but I'm not quite sure why. I've never been crazy about her looks or any of her characters or anything. And she turns in a solid performance here as a self-absorbed star actress, so the movie didn't do anything to change my opinion of her one way or the other. For what it is, though, and for the times in which it was released, I guess the movie remains indestructible, as does Ms. Davis.
Best Part: George Sanders as the self-serving unscrupulous drama critic Addison DeWitt. I've always enjoyed listening to him ever since I first heard him as the voice of Shere Khan in Disney's The Jungle Book. Marilyn Monroe also has a few lines in this show, and--as it was before they made her into Marilyn Monroe(TM)--she looks gorgeous and is fun to watch.
Friday, June 5, 2009
beautiful boy - David Sheff
I came across this when I looked up 'live through it' on amazon - a different story but equally heart wrenching. This is the story of a young man's addiction to crystal meth as told by his father. It was well-written but painful to read as meth continues to re-take the son, even after numerous rehabs. Meth is truly destructive on Nic and on his entire family and friends.
One of the many facts I learned about methamphetamine was that it was used in WWII by the Germans, Japanese, and Americans to keep the army up for days at a time. From Wikipedia: One of the earliest uses of methamphetamine was during World War II when the German military dispensed it under the trade name Pervitin. It was widely distributed across rank and division, from elite forces to tank crews and aircraft personnel. Chocolates dosed with methamphetamine were known as Fliegerschokolade ("airmen's chocolate") when given to pilots, or Panzerschokolade ("tank chocolate") when given to tank crews. Originally meth was used for various health conditions and today it is still used in some cases of Attention Deficit Disorder, Extreme Obesity, and Nacolepsy.
It is one of the most difficult addictions to treat.
Nic Sheff has also written a book of his experiences as a drug addict. It's titled "Tweak" and I'll be reading it next.